Mostly About Organized Crime

08/05/2016

The Mafia bust yesterday targeted dozens from multiple families along the East Coast who allegedly "worked together in a conspiracy that spanned from Springfield, Mass., to South Florida, and involved extortion, arson, health care and credit card fraud, illegal gambling and the sale of illegal firearms and cigarettes" although "a majority of those charged were from New York" as reported by The New York Times. Federal prosecutors "identified three men who they said 'supervised and controlled' the network: Joseph Merlino, whom they believe to be the boss of the so-called Philadelphia crime family; Eugene O'Nofrio, a Genovese capo known as Rooster, who they said was in charge of crews on Mulberry Street in Manhattan's Little Italy neighborhood; and Pasquale Parrello, who is believed to be a capo in the Genovese organization."

Multiple defendants were charged with "running a casino-style gambling operation the indictment calls the 'Yonkers Club,' where they allegedly held poker and dice tournaments, had poker machines and took bets on horse races" as reported by The Journal News: "Anthony Zinzi of the Bronx, aka 'Anthony Boy,' allegedly ran the Yonkers club and, with other associates, paid Parrello tribute from the gambling profits," and "others involved with the club included Israel Torres of Queens, Anthony Vazzano of Brewster, Agostino Camacho of Yonkers and Mark Maiuzzo of Scarsdale, the indictment says."

In addition to his Little Italy crew reputed capo Eugene O'Nofrio also allegedly headed a crew in Springfield, MA where five suspected associates were "arrested on extortion-related charges as part of a conspiracy to chop off a tow truck drivers head" as reported by the Hartford Courant: "Ralph Santaniello, 49, Giovanni Calabrese, aka John Calabrese, 53, and Gerald Daniele, 51, all of Longmeadow, Mass.; Francesco Depergola, 60, of Springfield, Mass.; and Richard Valentini, 51, of East Longmeadow, Mass., were each charged with federal crimes related to extortion."

Reputed Philly boss Skinny Joey Merlino was arrested at his home in Boca Raton, FL as reported by the Courier-Post: "the indictment alleges Merlino was involved in multiple sports-gambling ventures, including one based in Costa Rica that operated in New Jersey and other states," and "it also contends Merlino took part in a health care fraud scheme that got corrupt doctors to bill insurers for unnecessary and excessive prescriptions for expensive compound creams in exchange for kickbacks."

Pasquale Capolongo, 67, of West Palm Beach, who goes by "Mustache Pat," "Patsy," "Pat C." and "Fish," is a longtime bookmaker and placed large bets on behalf of several professional gamblers to help conceal their status as professionals, authorities said. The others charged are Frank "Harpo" Trapani, 63, Craig Bagon, 56, Bradley "Brad" Sirkin, 54, all of Boca Raton; Carmine Gallo, 38, of Delray Beach, and Wayne Kreisberg, 39, of Parkland.

Sirkin, Gallo and Kreisberg are accused of being part of Merlino's "ring that caused corrupt doctors to issue prescriptions for expensive cream that then were billed to victims' insurance companies."

Conigliaro, authorities allege, was involved in illegal gambling activities. One of the victims was working as a bookkeeper for defendant John Tognino, aka "Tugboat," who worked under Conigliaro. The Staten Island man had suspected the victim was allowing professional bettors to place bets, and as a result of the winning bets, Conigliaro was in the hole for about $400,000, federal officials said. In February 2012, the feds allege Conigliaro and two of his associates lured the victim to a small room in the basement of an Italian restaurant in Middletown, N.J. There, they intimidated and threatened the victim, and Conigliaro refused to pay the money owed, authorities said.

Yesterday's bust illustrates that the feds may be focusing on the terrorists but they're still watching the mobsters! Go Team America!

07/08/2016

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have charged seven suspected members from the Big Hazard street gang which is controlled by the Mexican Mafia for their alleged roles in a terror campaign to drive out black families from the Boyle Heights housing project as reported by the Los Angeles Times: "prosecutors allege that the men broke the apartment windows before hurling Molotov cocktails inside -- a move designed to 'maximize damage' -- and struck homes where families, including children, were inside," and "the charges are the latest in several criminal accusations over the last two decades against Latino street gangs that used violence to push rival black gangs out of certain neighborhoods."

06/21/2016

Cosa Nostra is burning down Sicilian forests in an extortionate attempt to force zoning changes to allow housing development, and the psycho mobsters are using cats as torches in their arson spree as reported by the Daily Mail. Giuseppe Antoci, a forest manager who survived an assassination attempt last month by the Sicilian Mafia, said "one of the mob's arson techniques is to tie a petrol-soaked rag to the tail of a cat and set fire to it," and "as its tail burns, the cat flees in terror into the undergrowth in the woods, setting fire to everything it touches." Several hundred fires have been set in this cruel fashion, and of course the cats end up as ashes.

06/18/2016

Firefighters in Sicily "are battling dozens of forest blazes which they believe were deliberately lit by the island's mafia or their collaborators" as reported by Nick Squires for The Telegraph: "authorities have pointed the blame at mafia mobsters allied with unscrupulous developers who hope to build villas and holiday homes on the torched land, as well as disgruntled forest rangers who were recently sacked after being found guilty of collusion with Cosa Nostra."